Sunday, November 13, 2022

"Help Your Teammates"

Coaches know what separates success from failure. Young players seldom do. "Help your teammates." What does that mean? Connection starts with "message discipline" every day. "This is how WE play." 

Elite players make teammates better. How? Help players understand the organization of play and the elegant symmetry of offensive and defensive goals. 


With the ball
  • Draw 2 and pass. 
  • Influence defenders to create partial separation (e.g. help)
  • Take quality shots (ROB - in range, open, balanced)
  • Pass to open players in places they operate well and limit passes to non-shooters or poor ball-handlers in areas where they will be exposed. "The ball has energy." 
Without the ball (offense and defense)...Billy Donovan calls it "the 95" because 95 percent of the game, an individual (except point guards) won't have the ball. 
  • Communication "silent teams lose"
  • Spacing "offense is spacing and spacing is offense" - Chuck Daly
  • Cutting "movement kills defense"
  • Screening (on ball, off ball, simple, and complex). Screening is underrated opportunity. "The screener is the second cutter." 
  • Containing the ball
  • Contesting shots without fouling (graph below)
  • Denying cutters
  • Defending screens (call, technique, everyone on same page)
  • Rebounding 
  • Team Spirit "The question teams have for those other veteran players is whether they would remain positive influences despite a lack of playing time."

When NBA shooters are at least eight feet away, defensive proximity has a big effect on shots. Would anyone think that would differ for high schoolers or below? 

Summary:
- "Connection starts with message discipline every day." 
- "the 95" without the ball
- "offense is spacing and spacing is offense" 
- "the ball has energy"
- "movement kills defense"
- "silent teams lose"
- "the screener is the second cutter"

Lagniappe. Competence and character under scrutiny... 
Lagniappe 2. Do the right thing. 
Lagniappe 3. Jayson Tatum after playing without Horford, Brown, Brogdon on a back-to-back. "Find a way to win." 

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